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J. C. WILSON.

TIME STAMP AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION mu) MAR. a. 19:2.

1 1 93,2 1 3 Patented A ug. 1, 1916.

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J. C. WILSON.

TIME STAMP AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 8.19l2.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916. I

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. WILSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTOMATIC TIME STAMP COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

TIME-STAMP AND THE LIKE.

Application filed March 8, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. WILSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, county of Suffolk, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, (whose post-oflice address is 160 Congress street, Boston, Massachusetts,) have invented an Improvement in Time-Stamps and the like, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to time stamps and the like, and among other objects comprises improved record sheet receiving means and ink ribbon carrying means cooperating therewith.

The character of the invention may be best understood by reference to the following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an illustrative time stamp embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a view of parts disclosed when the casing of said stamp is opened; Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5- 5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the record sheet receiving means; and Fig. 7 is a sectional detail to be referred to.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrative time stamp there shown as embodying the invention comprises a casing 1 containing a clock dial 3 having hands driven by a time train (not shown) of any suitable construc tion. This train also drives a die 5 adapted to be struck by a platen 7 controlled by a. handle 9 as described in Letters Patent No. 1,139,247 granted to me May 11, 1915. To permit access to the interior of the casing it may be split as at 10 and the parts hinged together as at 11 and be normally held together by a lock (not shown) controlled by a suitable latch 13.

An important feature of the invention relates to the construction and arrangement of the ink ribbon carrier. Heretofore the ink ribbon has been mounted and controlled wholly from the interior of the casing, rendering access thereto for feeding fresh portions of the ribbon in front of the die and replacement of the ribbon inconvenient and difficult.

An object of the invention is to provide,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 682,485.

among other things, an ink ribbon carrier by which the ribbon may be readily removed and replaced and be fed from the exterior of the casing. To this end the ink ribbon carrier comprises a plate 15 from which depend cylindrical or other suitably shaped housings 17 on opposite sides of the die and independently thereof. These housings preferably have lower closed ends 19, and upper open ends 21 provided with removable caps 23 seated over said ends and having reduced portions 25 fitting into said ends.

As shown herein, an ink ribbon 27 is provided, adapted to be wound on spools 29 and extend from the spool in one housing through a slot 31 therein, across the die through a similar slot 31 and to the spool in the other housing. These slots extend the width of the ribbon and are continued through the open ends of the housings to permit the ribbon and its spools to be readily slid out through said open ends as more fully hereinafter described. The spools are mounted on shafts 33 journaled in the ends of said housings. To cause the spools to retate with said shafts, key pins 37 are provided entered transversely through said shafts and adapted to enter end slits 35 in the spools. To retard the rotation of said shafts and resist the unwinding of the ribbon therefrom said shafts may be extended beyond the ends of the spool housings and the lower ends of the shafts may be provided with springs 39 encircling said shafts and confined between the housing ends 19 and flanges 41 on said shafts. To tension said springs and prevent said shafts from dropping out of said housings there are provided recessed knurled heads 43 resting on the housing caps and adjustably secured to the upper ends of said shafts by clamping screws 45. 7

hen the parts are assembled, as shown in Fig. 7 with the shafts 33 drawn into the heads 43 sufficiently to tension said springs 39 the caps 23 will be pressed by said heads on their seats and said heads will frictionally Patented Aug. 1, 1916. Y

engage said caps and resist rotation of the of the casing. To this end the lower ends of the ribbon spool shafts 33 are provided with wheels 49 having knurled peripheries projecting through slots 51 in the sides of the casing. As a result, the ribbon may be fed either from the top of the casing, or from the sides of the casing while facing the latter without the necessity of opening the casing.

lVhen one ink ribbon is exhausted and it is desired to replace the same with a fresh ribbon, it is merely necessary to loosen the clamping screws 45, remove the heads 43 and caps 23, whereupon the spools and rib bon connecting them may he slid as a whole from the shafts out through the upper open ends and slits of the housings. Spools carrying a fresh ribbon then may be slid on the said shafts and the portion of the ribbon connecting the spools may be inserted down through the open slots 31. The caps 23 are then inserted over the shafts on to their seats, the heads 43 placed on said shafts, the latter drawn to tension the spring 39 sufficiently and the clamp screws 45 are set in place. The fresh ribbon is then in readiness to be fed whenever necessary either by turning the heads 48 or the wheels 49 from the exterior of the casing.

Another feature of the invention relates to the record sheet receiving pocket. As shown herein, this pocket comprises spaced opposed plates 53 and 55 having central registering apertures 57 and 59 over the die and permitting the platen to impress a sheet interposed between said plates against said die. Preferably one of these plates is provided with a flaring lip 61 facilitating the guidance and entrance of the record sheet to and between said plates.

It is frequently desirable to employ a rec ord sheet or card, which shall be considerably longer than the width of the time stamp casing, and which shall be adapted to be fed past the stamp and receive successive imprints. In making an imprint at a point midway between the ends of the record sheet the ends of the latter projecting beyond the casing will be substantially equal, and as a result the card will stay in lace, but when making imprints at points arther adjacent the ends of the card its balance is destroyed and unless manually held in place it is liable to become displaced. Also the ends of the card projecting beyond the casing, unless provision is made for guiding and supporting the same, are liable to curve more or less so that its died surface will not be flat when the printing impress is made. To overcome these and other objections the record sheet receiving pocket may be provided with guide extensions 63 conveniently constituting a continuation of a bar interposed between the lower ends of the plates 53 and 55 for holding the same in proper spaced sheet receiving relation. To provide lateral as well as edge guidance to the record sheet, these guide extensions 63 may be provided with grooves (35 preferably flaring somewhat to facilitate the introduction of the sheet thereto. To provide convenient access to the die, ink ribbon and other internal mechanism of the machine, this record sheet receiver preferably is not permanently secured in the casing, but is removably positioned relatively thereto. To this end it is provided with dowel pins (37 adapted to enter corresponding holes in the edge of the spool housing supporting plate 17 referred to. \Vhen thus mounted the plate 53 of the record sheet re ceiver will be superposed over the ink ribbon and contribute to the guidance and proper positioning thereof. To space the record sheet receiving pocket from said housing and prevent ingress of dust therebetwecn, the sheet 53 may be provided with edge ribs (39. To further facilitate the in troduction of the record sheet to its receiver the spool housing carrying plate may be provided with a pair of spaced upwardly projecting guide pins 71. These are located directly above the die and also serve as a readily visible index enabling the locating of any portion of the record sheet opposite the invisible die.

By my invention is provided simple and effective means for permitting the removal and replacement of ink ribbons and the feeding thereof from the exterior of the casing, and record sheet receiving means contribut' ing to the guidance of the ribbon and for readily holding the record sheet in such a position that it may be grasped from its end and fed past the die and be effectively guided.

Having described an illustrative embodiment of the invention without limiting the same thereto, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing, and record sheet receiving means comprising opposed plates having registering apertures to permit recording on said sheet, and guides projecting beyond said plates to support said sheet in different positions relatively to said apertures.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing, and record sheet receiving means therefor comprising opposed spaced plates having registering aperturespermitting recording on said sheet, and a guide secured between said plates and extending beyond said casing to provide an extended support for said sheet.

3. In a device of the class described the combination of a casing; record making means contained within said casing; and record sheet receiving means comprising an elongated support on and projecting beyond said casing and opposed plates secured to said support and having registering apertures for exposing said sheet to the action of said record making means, said support being sufiiciently long to support said sheet with different portions opposite said apertures.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing, a. die and platen; and record sheet receiving means therefor having grooved guides projecting beyond the exterior of the casing to provide an extended support for a record sheet when adjusted to present different portions between said die and platen.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing, a die and platen; and record sheet receiving means therefor comprising opposed plates and guides projecting from said plates beyond the exterior of the casing, one of said plates having an extended sheet guiding lip deflected from the plane thereof for facilitating introduction of a record sheet between said plates.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing, a die and platen ink ribbon carrying means having provision permitting removal and replacement of said ribbon exteriorly of the casing, and means cooperating with said ribbon-carrying means for guiding said ribbon and having record sheet receiving means projecting beyond the sides of said casing for contributing to the support of said sheet.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing, a die and platen, ink ribbon carrying means comprising ribbon spool housings having removable ends exterior of the casing permitting removal and replacement of the inking ribbon spools, a plate connecting said housings, and record sheet receiving means cooperating with said plate to guide said ribbon and having means projecting beyond said casing for supporting said sheet.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing, a die and platen, ink ribbon carrying means and record sheet receiving means independent of the ribbon and having detachable connection with said ink ribbon carrying means.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing, a die and platen, ink ribbon receiving means secured to said casing and record sheet receiving means hav- Oopies of this patent may be obtained for five ing provision for detachable connection therewith.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing, a die and platen, ink ribbon carrying means and ink ribbon spool housings, and a record sheet receiving pocket adapted to be superposed over and contribute to the guidance of the ribbon and removable without disturbing said ribbon to permit access thereto.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing, a die and platen, an ink ribbon holder including fixed housings on opposite sides of said die and having provision permitting an ink ribbon to stretch across said die from one to another, and record sheet receiving means superposed over said ribbon to contribute to the gui ance thereof and having provision for detachable association with said housings.

12. The combination of a casing; a die and platen therein; and a vertically disposed record sheet receiving device interposed between said die and platen and having guide portions at the base thereof providing extended edge support for said sheet.

13. In a device of the class described the combination of a casing; a die concealed therein; a platen; record sheet receiving means having portions extending beyond the sides of said casing providing extended edge support for said sheet; and readily visible index means enabling the locating of said sheet opposite said concealed die.

H. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing 1; a die 5 and platen 7 therein; and record sheet receiving means having members 3 projecting beyond said casing providing edge support for the record sheet and exposing portions of the latter above said members.

15. In a device of the class described the combination of a casing; a die and platen; and record sheet receiving means including shallow grooved means extending beyond sides of said casing to support the sheet in different positions of adjustment relative to said die.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN C. WILSON.

lVitnesses ROBERT II. KAMMLE, HENRY T. WILLIAMS.

cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0. 

